Grooming is a vital part in the well-being and healthiness of a dog which can improve their lifespan. All breeds require daily grooming, how much depends on the breed, age, or health of the pet. Regular grooming helps to ensure the dog is healthy and comfortable. The main reasons for daily grooming include: 1) decreased chance of various skin problems, 2) general cleanliness of the dog, 3) monitoring of the dog's health by checking for cuts, heat, swelling, lameness, or changes in temperament, all of which could be indicative of illness, 4) forging of a closer bond between dog and owner, and 5) reducing infestation load of external parasites on skin.
Wire form pet brushes (often known as slickers) and rakes are often used to groom dogs and other pets and typically produce the best results. However, these grooming devices can oftentimes inflict harm and or pain upon the animals they are being used to groom. Wire form brushes and rakes come in constant contact with the epidermis layer of the pet's skin during grooming causing pain, irritations, scratches, and even punctures of the epidermis layer of the skin.
In addition to injuring the pets during grooming, the pain that is created by these brushes often leads to a pet resisting grooming, running away from the groomer and requiring the groomer to forcibly restrain the animal so that they can be groomed.
In order to help alleviate these issues, pet grooming devices are often equipped with plastic or metal beads at the extreme ends of the brush wires. These beads help distribute forces over the epidermis of the animal, reducing the discomfort. However, these beads can still create some discomfort in the animal because they are still in constant contact with the epidermis and because the beads can get tangled in the animal's hair, ripping the hair from the animal. Additionally, the plastic beads oftentimes fall off, creating frustration for the consumer.
Accordingly, there is a need for an apparatus that is operable to comfortably groom a dog or other pet without contacting the epidermis of the animal during the grooming process, creating pain or discomfort in the animal.
Additionally, there is a need for an apparatus that is more durable than the apparatuses currently available to comfortably groom dogs or other animals.